Where to Study?
Before choosing where to study one of the many Institute of Certified Bookkeeper courses, you have to think about the following things:
- Will you study while you work?
- Can you go to classes every day and study at a training provider campus?
- Is your training provider accredited?
- Does your training provider offer the course you want to study?
- How will you pay for your course?
- Are there any bursaries or financial assistance available?
- Training providers in the different provinces
- Training providers in the major cities and towns
- Study ICB outside South Africa
- Where will you write your exams?
Will you study while you work?
If you are currently working, you will want to keep your job while you are studying. That means you will consider home study or distance learning.
With home study you will get your study material couriered to your door. Your study material will include all the textbooks and guides and notes that you need to pass the course. You also get to use our online study groups for ICB students. In your online study groups you will meet other students doing the same subjects at you are doing. Your tutor will also spend time online to answer questions and to participate in the discussion.
The online study groups will take away the challenge of studying on your own. You will know that many other students are doing the same work as you. And aiming for the same exams. Sharing your problems, your learning, and your successes with other students and lecturers, will make the learning experience easier and more rewarding.
In the study groups your lecturer will help answer questions, but also allow students to answer the questions from other students. As you start helping your fellow students, you will see how the best learning and the best test or your own knowledge, is when you try and explain something to another student.
Because so many ICB students study while they work, the ICB has increased their exam sessions in 2017 to five sessions in the year. So if you miss an exam session, you know that the next session is no more than three months away.
If you are a fast student, you know that you can write an exam as soon as you have mastered the work. No waiting till the end of the year for your exam.
Remember that you will have to budget for your exam fees, if you don’t include them in your study fees. So ask about all-inclusive fees when you register with the college.
Can you go to classes every day and study at a training provider campus?
If you are lucky enough to have someone paying for your studies, you might be able to attend one of the many training providers that have campuses around South Africa. One of the biggest face-to-face training providers is Boston College. They are well-established with a good reputation amongst ICB students.
Some students can study full-time, but they are not close enough to a campus. Or the campus where they want to study, do not have a space open for them.
If you are in this position, you can still make use of home study. You can set time aside every day to study at home. And you can participate in the online classroom with other home study students and your lecturers.
Students who choose this version of home study… meaning they are studying full-time, but from home, often study much faster. In a classroom you often move at the pace of the slowest student. So if you already understand the work being discussed in class, then they are wasting your time.
When you study at home, you study as fast or as slow as you want. So when the work is easy for you, you go fast-forward. If you struggle with parts of the work, then you can slow down, ask the lecturer and ask fellow students in your study group. You will find that the lecturer is always there to help. And that there are often other students who also struggle with the same bits of the work that you are struggling with.
Is your training provider accredited?
Before choosing a training provider, you must make sure they are properly accredited.
For a training provider to be accredited to offer the ICB course, they must successfully go through the following process:
- A formal application to the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
- Site visit by a quality assurance officer from the ICB
- Prove the financial and academic viability of the training institution to the ICB
- Show that the study materials they plan to use are appropriate and adequate for ICB studies
- Show the CVs of lecturers, to prove that they have appropriate academic staffing
- A health and safety certificate (OHS Certificate), showing their offices and classes are safe and adequate for staff and students
- Compliance with other South African legislation, for example a tax clearance certificate
Your training provider should be able to show you an accreditation certificate for each ICB programme they offer. They might also have a letter from FASSET regarding their accreditation. FASSET used to be the body with whom the ICB was registered as QAP (Quality Assurance Partner), to enable them to accredit course providers.
Recently the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations) has taken over the function of registering the ICB as a QAP (Quality Assurance Partner) for the accreditation of course providers.
At this stage the QCTO does not issue any documents directly to course providers. But you could also check the accreditation status of your course provider with them.
Apart from all these documents and processes, the easiest way to confirm the accreditation of your course provider, is to contact the ICB and check with them.
Does your training provider offer the course you want to study?
Some course providers only offer a few of the ICB courses. The ICB offers a number of programmes, and you need to check that your course provider actually offers the specific course you want to study.
ICB qualifications are divided into four different areas of study. Financial Accounting, Public Sector Accounting, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, and Office Administration.
Matric College offers accredited ICB courses you can study via distance learning.
Inside each area of study, or Programme, you find a number of courses, as follows:
ICB Financial Accounting
Foundation level
Intermediate level
FET Certificate: Bookkeeping
Upper intermediate level
National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting
Advanced level
National Diploma: Financial Accounting
ICB Public Sector Accounting
Foundation level
National Certificate: Public Sector Accounting
Intermediate level
Diploma: Public Sector Accounting
Advanced level
National Diploma: Financial Accounting
Public Sector Accounting is specific to government and other non-profit entities.
ICB Business Management
Foundation level
National Certificate: Small Business Financial Management
Intermediate level
Higher Certificate: Office Administration
Advanced level
National Diploma: Financial Accounting
You can read more on Business Management courses at Skills Academy here.
ICB Entrepreneurship
Foundation level
National Certificate: Small Business Financial Management
Intermediate level
Higher Certificate: Office Administration
Advanced level
National Diploma: Financial Accounting
ICB Office Administration
Foundation level
Certificate: Office Administration
Intermediate level
Higher Certificate: Office Administration
Advanced level
Diploma: Office Administration
Want more information? The ICB Office Administration page has it all.
How will you pay for your course?
When planning to pay for your studies, you need to take into account the following:
- Can you get a discount if you pay the course in full?
- What exactly do you get for your money? Is everything included?
- Do you understand ALL the costs? Course fees; exam fees; textbook costs; student membership fees…
- Are you taking a loan to pay for your studies?
- Does your course provider give you the option to pay the course monthly?
- Is someone else paying for you?
- Will your employer pay for your studies?
- Must you pay a Registration fee, or an Application fee?
This is a big financial commitment you are making. So you need to carefully consider all your options. If you are working full-time, then make sure to approach your employer with your study plans. Many employers will help pay for your studies. Or refund a portion of your study fees if you pass.
You can pay for your studies in a number of ways, including online. The ICB Learner Portal in-depth guide explains how you can pay your fees online.
Are there any bursaries or financial assistance available?
The ICB offers a number of bursaries. You will also find that employers are very happy when their employees start studying ICB courses. So your employer might offer you financial assistance.
Make sure to ask! You won’t know until you do your own research.
With some providers you can pay monthly. And that might help you. Compared to finding the full course fee and paying that when you register.
Accredited training providers in the different provinces
There are ICB training providers in all our provinces, as well as in Namibia. If you study via distance learning, then you will find distance learning providers offering the courses everywhere in South Africa.
The nine provinces are:
- The Eastern Cape
- The Free State
- Gauteng
- KwaZulu-Natal
- Limpopo
- Mpumalanga
- The Northern Cape
- North West
- The Western Cape
The Eastern Cape
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
The Free State
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Gauteng
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
KwaZulu-Natal
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Limpopo
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Mpumalanga
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
The Northern Cape
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
North West
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
The Western Cape
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Accredited training providers in the major cities
Cape Town
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Durban
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Johannesburg
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Soweto
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Pretoria
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Port Elizabeth
Skills Academy
Martic College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Pietermaritzburg
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Benoni
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Tembisa
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
East London
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Katlehong
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Umlazi
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Soshanguve
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Khayelitsha
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Randburg
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Mamelodi
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Mitchells Plain
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Germiston
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
iBhayi
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Vereeniging
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Bloemfontein
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Boksburg
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Welkom
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Newcastle
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Krugersdorp
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Diepsloot
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Botshabelo
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Brakpan
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Witbank
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Richards Bay
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Vanderbijlpark
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Centurion
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Uitenhage
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Roodepoort
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Paarl
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Springs
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Carletonville
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Klerksdorp
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Midrand
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Westonaria
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Middleburg
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Vryheid
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Orkney
Skills Academy
Matric College
The Learning Group
TWP Academy
Study ICB outside South Africa
Namibia
There is six classroom providers of ICB courses in Namibia. You can also study with any of the distance learning colleges if you live in Namibia. Remember to check if the prices are different for Namibia. Usually the couriering costs are a bit more… so Namibian students pay extra to cover that.
Swaziland
There is one accredited classroom provider of ICB courses in Swaziland. Swazi citizens can also study with any of the South African distance learning colleges.
Where will you write your exams?
The ICB offers five exam sessions for distance learning students in 2017. You need to make sure that you register in time for your exam. And that you follow the correct process. That means completing the relevant documents and making payments.
The ICB has many exam centres across South Africa. If you are not close enough to an exam centre, then you can ask for private invigilation. However, this is usually an expensive option.
Here is a detailed explanation of the exam dates and processes: Skills Academy ICB Exam Registration Process and Dates. You can also read more on ICB here. You can also read more on the ICB prospectus page.
Here is a list of the ICB exam centres: https://www.icb.org.za/exams/exam-centres.html
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Last Updated: November 15, 2021